Art of cracking hydrocarbons.



AHI 0F CBACKING HYDRUCARBONS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0. Isn.

1,285,200. Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

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E. W. ISOM. ART 0F CRACKING HYDSROCAFIBONS.

APPLICATION FILED SEP-T. I0., I9I 7.

" Patented Nov. 19, 1918r 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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E. W. lSOM. ART 0F CRACKING HYDROCARBONS. APPLicArmN man SEPT. 1o, 191 z.

1,285,200. Patented Nov.' 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i 5 Si lin , E. W. ISOMf ART 0F CRACKING HYDR'UCARBONS. APPLICATIONAHLED SEPT. lo, i911.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEEI 4..

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ART 024 GRACHING HYD@ i.-

Patented hier. 319, ibid.

Application tiled September i0, 191'?. Serial yNo. 190,429.

To all wwm t may concern:

Be it known that l, Enwnnn W. leona, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of llinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the Art of Craclng Hydrocarbons, or' which the following is a specification.

lt is well known that when the heavier hydrocarbons contained in petroleum are heated to the necessary degree they break -down into lighter hydrocarbons, with the been found that for eiiicient operation a very ,the ignition point of high temperature is required-temperatures.

between 600 and 900 Fahrenheit being commonly employed. In order tov attain such l temperatures it is necessary to heat the oil under highpressure. The combination of high pressure with' a temperature far above the material treated makes the rening operation a dangerous one. The danger is very lar ely increased under the usual. working conditions by the deposition of carbon from the cracking operation, which settles at the bottom of the retort or receptacle in whichthe oil is being treated, more or less insulating the metal from the cooler body of liquid above it. As in the apparatus commonly employed the bottom of the retort or still which receives the precipitated carbonis exposed to the most intense heat, there is a strong tendency Vfor it to become overheated and weaken the metal to such a point that it yields to the pressure within the still. This frequently leads t'o dangerous coniiagrations, due to the ignition of the escaping oil.

It is the object of my invention to provide an apparatus for cracking oil by means of which the liquid is subjected to the required temperature and pressure under such conditions that there is no deposition of carbon or the like upon the highly heated surfaces, such surfaces being so arranged as for so treating the' to furnish no resting place for solids, and moreover, constantly swept clean by a rapid dow of oil under pressure.

In the accompanying drawings l have disclosed a preferred embodiment oi my invention. Y t is to be understood, however, that the specic disclosure is for the purpose of exemplitcation only, and that the scope of the invention is defined in the following claims in which l have endeavored to distinguish the same from. the prior art so far as known to me, without, however, relinquishing or abandoning any portion or feature thereof. ln the drawings accompanying and formmg a lportion of this application, Figure l is a plan view paratus for practising my invention; Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, parts, however, being shown in elevation; Fi 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of ig. l; Fig. 4, an end elevation, partly in section, the structure bein partiallyv broken away in this and the prece purpose of condensation, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a detail on an enlarged scale. Each part of the device is identied by the same reference character wherever it appears in the several views. y

`As above pointed out, my invention relates more particularly to the means for heating the oil. For this purpose it is passed through a battery of pipes in a .furnace A being constantly circulated therethrough b a forcing device B from a tank C to whic the oil returns from the pipes. The tank C is connected to a condenser 59, which may be of the usual type, and is therefore shown on' in the istillation by the means herein.

after described. y r

The particular design of furnace for heating figure for the time couter ci sai dorrnevardiy to E' connected to the end ci2 ing the oil circulating pipes is not material to the present invention. l have shown it as eoniprisiiiah norizontal dues o, 7, which are connected by .dues S, 8, (Fig. 2*; yiitii iooaes 9., 9, arranged upon opposite sides, respectiyeiy, oi said pair oi dues Tire dues ti, are connected oy outlet :dues "l0, l0, with downecoiner rlues l2.,'ieading to a staclr-iue l intermediate tl'ie heating dues e9 Flues i3 are connected to stacks 13;. Econ-comer 'dues l2 are controlled by loose lorielr darnrpers 1i. The structure may loe of reiractory loricir or the like, resting upon a suitable foundation le and is reinforced loy leuclstays l5 connected lay tie-bars le. The arches li?, i8 and doors i9, 2G of the iieating :dues are perforated vertically lat suitable interyals fior tlie passage oi tlie batteries oi heat ieg tuoes or pipes 2:2., 22. which eat-end vertically and uninterrupted y through tiie dues and are connected at topf and bottoni respectively to nianiiolds or headers 23, 2li. The upper manifold comprises an interino diete main supply pipe arranged apoye the roei oi the floss and intermediate die iatter. said inain pipe. being provided with parailel laterais 26 connected to said main pipe ley the branches 27. Each oi'tiie laterals 26 is ioruied with a series oi upwardly and downwardly projecting co .nection loranciies 28, 29, there seing au upperloraneh or connection in registry u/itii eacli lower orancii or coiuiectimo9 time connections on die respective laterale being staggered, as liest rllie lower iieader or maai- Eoid 2e, except in the respect- 1oereinaiter to iis pointed out, issimilar to die upper rnaniiiold Q3., and the heatiug pipes E22 extend 1vertically between die respective tranches on the laterale of tire upper and lower inaniioid and through the roei door oi the respectiye dues. ilie upper branches 28 oit the upper roaniiold Q3 are closed by removable liandiiole covers, plugs or plates 3U ot any suitable character, and the iou'er branches 3i oli tlie iower manifold 2l are similarly ciosed. 'iraps 5l., 52 are provided at the respective opposite ends oi the laterale o1? tire lower header or nianii'old and are eacii each oi the adjacent la erals ley elbows 53, Se in suoli manner that the solid and semi-solid contents o tiie oils tend to settle into said traps. llacii trap its opposite ends has drawer? pipes 2l, 2l. provided with turning plugs 212., 2l for draining' tire trap. From each end oi the -inain 25 ot tire upper manifold, a return pipe 32, 33 ieads to die corresponding end oi the supply tenis tG, by means pipes 32 and 33 oil is continuously returued 'from tire heating pipes to tire lroru tanl: a. main 342: ieads tile casing,1 35 'oit tire oii is distributed lay ier-ariela pipes 33. die

. terior of ,oi fefiiiciif opposite ends of the main 38 of thelower manifold. The oil forcing apparatus may be ci any suitable type, but in the preferred embodiment it consists oi a spiral or screw-y .,propeller B9 in a barrel l0, the shaft al oi tlie conveyor being provided at its outer end with e. driving pulley 42 or other means ier "transmitting power thereto. Obviously, by rotating' the sores/'propeller in the proper direction tlie heavy oil is caused to circulate rapidly from the fencing apparatus up# Wardly through the heating pipes to the anlr, and circulates back through the downcorner to tlie forcing apparatus. Because of the iiigii pressure a special-precaution must loe taken ior preventing the leakage oi oil about tile siiait el., because vthe oil being above the ignition temperature would immediately ignite on exposure to the atmospliers. io avoid diiiiculty of this kind a stuiiing bof; Si is provided about the shaft, (see Fig. .5) and is in turn inclosed in a housing ed? which is likewise packed at i5 about tile sliait. Relatively cold oil is circuu iated through the liousiog se preferably at a pressure somewhat in excess ot the pressure witiiintlie casing;1 35 so that ii there is any leakage past the stuidng box a8, it will be ei tiie cold cil rat-lier than the hot oil. For this purpose. a pump e6, shown diagrainf niatically in Fia. 5,' is connected to a tank, coi-itaining oii or the character being treated and oy pipe l? to the housing all. From the housing the oil is ied oy pipe 48 to the inthe casing 35 where it mingles with the oil losing treated. rll`lie oil to maintain tile lei/el or the iiquid in tank C is supplied in this rnauuer but normally is not altogether sucieot for tlue 'cooling ci the housing. Therefore l provide a Waste pipe 48a which preferably leads to the supply of oil. Valves ed", e8 control the return or waste-pipe. i8 and the pipe e8 respectively and ma be used to regulate the amount of oil introduced into the cracking system. The supply oi oil to 'liicli the pump i6 and return pipe d8a are connected is oi sucient size to 'avoid inaterially heating it by the return et oil thereto from the return pipe. 50h indicates a pressure gage for observing the pressure of tile oil. Suiiicientcircul. tion of the oil through the nousing is maintained to pre; rent its loeoorning iieated to a dangerous teinperature so that it is immaterial ii there be leakage past the packing e5.

The upper.maniiold supports the Weight oi the iower manifold and lthe heating pipes and is itself supported upon suitable l-beains l59. 66'? forming' part or? the reinforcing. structure o the furnace. 'llius the pipes 22 are irse to expand to the ull extent necessary loy reason oi ne great Variation in teinperature to 'which tlie pipes are subjiected.

m 1 may loe supported in any suiti L ist? U apio maaar, preieraloiy aio-oye tire` level et lOL) fee

nasaaoo the furnace, and I have shown it' as suspended by a stirrup 57 from a scaffolding 58. The pipes 22 are of such internal diameter relative to the capacity of the oil supplying and forcing means that the oil is rapidly circulated therethrough and are maintained at such high temperature that notwithstanding the rapid circulation the oil is brought to a cracking temperature therein; A

The only surfaces subjected to heat are all vertical and constantly swept by the current of oil so that there is little or no tendency zobe for carbon to accumulate thereon and thcir heat-conductive capacity is therefore not diminished nor are the pipes in danger of overheating. There are no joints within the heated zone but only perfectly straightv pipes and by reason of the handhole construction referred to above the pipes may readily cleaned, there being a straight continuouspassage from lend to end. The greater proportion of the solid matter is deposited in the traps from which it may be readily removed and any matter accumulating in the lower header may be removed through the handholes on the lower connections thereof.

It is desirable, though not' essential, to insert dephlegmators or the like in the connetion 61 between tank C and the condenser in order to condense heavier hydrocarbons than those desired andthe dephlegmatorl may be connected with' any part of the system as, for example, with the casing 35, to return such heavier oils to the main body for further treatment.

I claim: p p

l. In a device of the class described, a furnace having heating flues therein, substantially vertical heating pipes extending through said'heating iues, a supply tank, a connection from said heating pipes to said tank, a liquid forcing means, and chnnecu tions from said tank and heating pipes to said means.

2. In a device of the class described, a furnace having heating lues therein, a battery of vertical pipes extending through said iiues, manifolds connected to said pipes at their upper and lower ends'respectively, a tank connected to both said manifolds, and mechanically operated means .for circulating oil to be cracked through said manifolds, p'ipes and tank.

3 In a device of the class described, a furnace having heating .iiues therein, a bating the same,

tery of vertical pipes extending uninterruptedly through lsaid fines, mamfolds connecting the upper and lower ends of said pipes respectively, a tank connected to both of said manifolds and mechanically operated oil circulating means connected to on of said manifolds and said tank.

4. In a device of the class described, a furnace havingl heating dues therein, batteries of pipes extending uninterruptedly vertically through said lower manifolds connected respectively to said pipes outside the iues, a tank, connections between said tank and each of Said manifolds and circulating means inone of said connections. y Y

@5. In a device of the class described, a furnace having heating fiues therein, a battery of 'heating pipesl extending uninterruptedly vertically through said flues and through the roof and floor thereof, maniand lower ends respectively, hand holes in register with the upper and lower ends of said pipes for providing a rectilinear passage therethrough, and means for circulating oil through said manifolds and pipes.

6. In a device of the class described, a furnace, heating pipes therein, a supply tank connectedv to said heating pipes, a liquid forcing device connected to and to said tank respectively, a shaft extending into said forcing device for operating the same, and through the wall thereof to a source of power, a housing surrounding the shaft, vand means for forcing relatively cool oil into said housing.

7. In a device of the class described, a furnace, heating pipes therein, a supply tank connected to said heating pipes, al iquid forcing device connected to said pipes and to said tank respectively, a shaft extending into said forcing device for operatand through the wall thereof powera housing surrounding the shaft, and means for 4forcing relatively cool oil under pressure into said housing.

8. An apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons comprising a tank for holding a body of oil, a furnace, a `series of small vertical pipes in the furnace, means for forcing oil from the tank to the lower ends of said pipes and return connections from the upper ends of the pipes to the tank.

EDWARD w. isoM.

toa source of fines, upper and said pipes 4 folds connected to said pipes at their upper 

